The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-03-23
OUR FORESTS.
THEIR INTIMATE RELATIONS TO
THE PUBLIC WELFARE.
Why the Trees Should Be Preserved
From Destruction-Thei Health
Giving Propcrties-Suggestions
For Their Preservation, Etc.

Prof. Edmund j. James of the Unlver-
sity of Pennsylvania lcctured recently
at the Academy of Fine Arts, in Phila-
delphia, on "Our Forests and the Public
Veal" He said:
"The forests of any large country
bear peculiar relation to our national
prosperity. Most people have an in
adequate idea of the economic value of
our own forests, the product of which
in 1880 exceeded $700,OOO,0O0. This
interest ranks third in the line of our
material prosperity, counting manufac-
turing first and agriculture second. If
. forests were of no more consequence than
as the source of the increment of wealth
which their annual yield represents, they
would be worthy of especial attention
and care. But although the National
Government has put forth great efforts
and expended untold sums for the pro-
motion of agriculture and manufacturing,
for improving highways and rivers, it
has done almost nothing for the pro-
lection and cultivation of our forests,
from which we are deriving a larger
value in natural wealth than from all
other natural supplies.
But the argument that we should take
care of our forests for fear that scarcity
of timber would follow their destruction
is not the only one presented for their
sustenance. A more important one is
that they determine to greater extent
climatic and hygienic conditions.
Whether the presence of forests increases
the rainfall in given area is a disputed
question, but that they bring about q
much better distribution of moisture
throughout the year is not doubted. The
forests are the regulators of the character
of our great and little streams. This af-
fects navigation and the whole transpor-
tation system of the country. It affects
manufacturing, for factories and mills
would not be founded along water
course which is torrent one-fourth of q
year and dry bed during like period.
1t affects the water supply of our great
cities. It, would, for instance, be posi-
BILE to seriously injure agricultural inter-
ests along the lower Ohio by merely cut
ting off the forests at its sources.
"Moreover, trees purify the atmosphere.
They dry it when too damp and moisten
it when too dry. They are manufacturers
of ozone, the life-giving element of the
atmosphere. DR.. Pepper has shown that
the greatest immunity from consumption
exists where large areas of pine forests
still stand.
eff all the forests were cut off from
the American continent the greater part
of it would become in half q generation q
bowling wilderness incapable of support
ing man or beast. A certain ratio, be-
tween twenty and thirty per cent. of the
whole agricultural region of any country
must, for the good of the rest, remain
forest land.
sIt was estimated in 1870 that 10, 000-
900 acres of forest land were cleared each
year, at which rate of consumption it
would require only forty years to clear
out all woodland reported as belonging
to private parties. The great pine forests
of New England, New York, and Penn
sylvania are rapidly disappearing, while
those of Michigan and Wisconsin cannot
last much longer at the present rate of
consumption, and the great forests of the
Southern States will disappear in their
turn. Browsing animals and forest fires,
however, are as destructive as the axe.
The railroads, moreover, infict enormous
damage on the forests. Ties are cut from
young trees, which would in fifty years
afford immense quantities of valuable
timber. For this purpose 10000, 900
vigorous young trees are destroyed an
nually.
sIt all amounts to this: We are cut
ting off our forests much faster than we
are reproducing them. What can we do
to prevent our forests entirely disappear
ing2 First, wide and extensive care on
the part of the Government is necessary.
1t is short-sighted policy to hand the
timber resources of the country over to
private parties without control. The
Government timber lands should be taken
from the list of lands for sale and be kept
under the control of the Government.
The general establishment of a State holi-
day called sArbor Day is necessary. A
school of forestry should be established,
where the uusolved problems could be
worked out and the knowledge acquired
be distributed.
'It goes without saying that the Gov
ernnent should enact and enforce laws
which shall put an end to the criminal de-
struction of our forests. We need in this
State a commission of forestry, whose
first business should be to take account OF
stock of all forests in the State. We need
an adequate library right here in Phila-
delphia of books on this subject, particu-
larly the French and German works"